Age Effects in Implicit Memory: The Role of Response Competition Induced by Relative Word Frequency |
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| Authors: | Lisa Geraci Maryellen Hamilton Jimmeka J. Guillory |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology, Texas A&2. M University, College Station, Texas, USAlgeraci@tamu.edu;4. Department of Psychology, Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA;5. Department of Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
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| Abstract: | Background/Study Context: This study examined the effect of age and response competition on implicit memory performance.Methods: Younger and older adults studied high- and low-frequency words and took a word stem completion test that could be completed with multiple solutions. To manipulate response competition, the test list consisted of word stems that could be completed with target low-frequency words, as well as multiple other solutions with higher frequencies than the target (the high response competition condition) and word stems that could be completed with target high-frequency words, as well as multiple other solutions with lower frequencies than the target (the low response competition condition).Results: Relative to younger adults, older adults showed reduced levels of priming only under conditions of high response competition (low-frequency targets with high-frequency competitors).Conclusion: In support of a response competition mechanism, older adults were more likely to complete stems with nonstudied high-frequency solutions than were younger adults. Results demonstrate that older adults have reduced priming compared with younger adults under some conditions of high response competition. |
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